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Who’s playing

Gujarat Giants (GG) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, February 18, 2025, 7.30pm IST

What to expect: GG look to break MI jinx

The last time MI and GG met, Harmanpreet Kaur cracked 95 off 48 balls as MI pulled off a heist and booked a playoffs spot last moment. That meant MI have a 4-0 record against GG so far.Related

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But unlike the previous two seasons, GG have started WPL 2025 on a much stronger note. While it took them five attempts to win their first game in 2024, their first victory this time came in their second match, when they beat UP Warriorz (UPW) comfortably. But ineffective death bowling continues to be a concern for GG. RCB took them for 79 runs off the last 4.3 overs, while UPW smashed 26 runs off the final eight deliveries of their innings. With the bat, GG’s captain Ashleigh Gardner will be looking for more support from the top order, as their top three tallied only 22 runs between them against UPW.Meanwhile, MI started this season with a close loss against Delhi Capitals after three contentious run-out decisions. MI stuttered their way to 164 after Nat-Sciver Brunt (80*) and Harmanpreet (42) had given them a blazing start. Four of MI’s remaining top-seven batters fell for single-figure scores, and MI will hope things change against GG.

Team news and likely XIs

GG have played the same XI in both matches so far after handing out four debuts in the opener against RCB. But Sayali Satghare’s six overs across those two games cost 64 runs, and she struck only once. D Hemalatha, on the other hand, managed scores of only 4 and 0. So GG will hope they are back in form before it gets too late.Can Deandra Dottin help GG get their first win against MI?•BCCI

Gujarat Giants (probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 D Hemalatha, 4 Ashleigh Gardner (capt), 5 Harleen Deol, 6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Simran Shaikh, 8 Tanuja Kanwar, 9 Sayali Satghare, 10 Priya Mishra, 11 Kashvee GautamMI have played only a solitary game so far this season, and are unlikely to panic despite their batters under-performing. But they will want Saika Ishaque, their second-highest wicket-taker in the WPL, to put behind a disappointing outing against RCB, as she leaked 43 runs in three overs.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Sanskriti Gupta, 9 Jintimani Kalita, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Saika Ishaque

Players to watch

Deandra Dottin made her WPL debut only this year, but has already left a mark. She walked out to bat in the 12th over in both matches, and struck at a rapid pace, scoring 25 off 13 while batting first against RCB, and then an unbeaten 33* off 18 in a tricky chase against UPW to ensure GG hunted down 144 with two overs to spare. GG will hope Dottin’s run continues, and helps them break their MI jinx.Harmanpreet Kaur had played a massive role the last time these two teams met•BCCI

Nat-Sciver Brunt may not have scored a lot in the recent Ashes but she showed her class in MI’s opening game. Batting at No.3, her 80 off 59 balls, which included 13 fours, formed the bedrock of MI’s total. That is nearly half of the 172 runs she managed in nine innings last WPL, and her form will be a relief for MI, whose batting otherwise mainly rests on Harmanpreet’s shoulders in the middle order.

Key stats

• Four of the top six wicket-takers in the WPL are from MI: Hayley Matthews (25 wickets), Ishaque (24), Amelia Kerr (24) and Sciver-Brunt (21).
• Only four players have achieved the double of scoring at least 300 runs and taking 20 wickets in the WPL. Three of them are from MI (Sciver-Brunt, Matthews and Kerr), and one from GG (Gardner).

MatériaMais Notícias

Empresa de investimentos que é responsável pela implementação da SAF no Coritiba, a Treecorp comemorou bastante o avanço obtido nesta quarta-feira (31) com a aprovação do projeto tanto junto aos Sócios como do Conselho Deliberativo do Verdão.

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Segundo relatou Bruno Levi D’Ancona, sócio da companhia, o passo dado pode ser considerado como ‘extremamente significativo para a história do Coritiba’. Ressaltando, ao falar sobre o planejamento estruturado para a nova gestão, de trazer uma ‘revolução’ em caráter administrativo e esportivo.

– Este é um momento extremamente significativo para a história do Coritiba. Estamos felizes e orgulhosos com a aprovação da SAF e com o voto de confiança dado pelos sócios e conselheiros. Acreditamos que esse passo é fundamental para recolocar o clube em uma trajetória positiva. Nosso projeto tem como objetivo estabelecer as bases estruturais necessárias para que o Coritiba volte a ser protagonista no cenário esportivo. Planejamos uma revolução em termos de administração, infraestrutura, governança corporativa, transparência e tecnologia. Temos plena consciência de que o sucesso esportivo não será imediato, mas estamos comprometidos com um progresso constante e palpável para o torcedor – detalhou.

Outro sócio da Treecorp, Felipe Lomonaco destacou o aspecto do compromisso desde já firmado com as atuais lideranças do Coritiba em equilibrar um projeto que traga competitividade e evolução estrutural com o respeito a história e identidade do clube radicado no Alto da Glória:

– Neste momento, estamos trabalhando incansavelmente para entender o clube e consolidar nossos projetos, que visam a reformulação estrutural de todas as áreas, sempre respeitando a história centenária da instituição.

>Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

A aprovação é o principal marco no âmbito da associação para que os trâmites de aquisição dos 90% da SAF sejam finalizados. A partir de agora, a aquisição será analisada pelas autoridades que coordenam o processo de Recuperação Judicial. Com isso, a mudança formal de comando acionário tem previsão de ser efetivada nas próximas semanas.

India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCI

India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCI

Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCI

Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.

The IPL franchises can retain up to six players each for the 2025 season, the right-to-match (RTM) option is back for the mega auction, and the Impact Player rule will remain in place till the 2027 season. That aside, the auction purse has been increased by INR 20 crore and is now INR 120 crore (US$ 14.3 million approx.). These were among the most significant decisions announced by the IPL governing council on Saturday.Each franchise can retain a maximum of six players via a combination of retention and the RTM option. “It is at the discretion of the IPL franchise to choose their combination for retentions and RTMs,” the IPL release said. “The six retentions/RTMs can have a maximum of five capped players (Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped [Indians] players.”

Retention slabs for IPL 2025

In case a franchise wants to retain five capped players, the following amounts will be deducted from the purse:

• For the first three retentions: INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore
• For the next two: INR 18 crore and INR 14 croreAs for the uncapped players, the IPL has stuck with INR 4 crore, as was the case in the 2021 mega auction. This means a franchise retaining five capped players and one uncapped before the auction will lose INR 79 crore from the overall purse of INR 120 crore, and will go into the auction with just INR 41 crore. If a franchise retains four capped and two uncapped players, it will lose INR 69 crore from its purse.The total salary cap will now consist of the auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. In 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was INR 110 crore. It will be INR 146 crore in 2025, INR 151 crore in 2026, and INR 157 crore in 2027.
  

  Impact Player not going away

  Despite objections from franchises and concerns from high-profile players such as Rohit Sharma that the Impact Player rule could be detrimental to the development of allrounders, the IPL has decided to retain it for the next three seasons, up to 2027.Related

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  • IPL retention FAQs: What is the modified RTM rule? Has the auction purse increased?

  • October 31 set as deadline for IPL teams to finalise retentions

  Since its introduction in the 2023 season, the rule has stirred wide debate over whether it is indeed beneficial to Indian cricket, which was the original motive, or whether it could be hurting the development of allrounders. That was one of the points the IPL discussed with the franchises during a meeting on July 31, which was attended by several team owners and team principals. While there was no unanimous nod to the rule, the majority was in favour of it being retained.Nine of the ten highest totals in IPL history have been recorded since the Impact Player rule, which allows a team to sub out a first-XI player and field a specialist batter or bowler depending on the match situation. The IPL believes the rule has enhanced the product by creating spectacles and is good from the spectators’ point of view, too.

  RTM card – final bidder to get extra opportunity

  The RTM option gives a franchise the chance to buy back a player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise once the bidding is over. It was previously used in the 2017 mega auction but was discarded ahead of the 2022 mega auction.The IPL has decided to reintroduce it after at least three franchises argued in its favour. It is understood that the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad said they wanted seven to eight RTMs. However, players have generally not been in favour of the RTM option because they feel they don’t get the fair price as a result.To advance the cause of the players, the IPL has now modified the rule. It now reads: “The highest bidder will be given one final opportunity to raise their bid for a player before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right. For example, if Team 1 holds the RTM for Player X and Team 2 has placed the highest bid of INR 6 crore, then Team 1 will be first asked if they will exercise RTM, if Team 1 agrees, then Team 2 will have the chance to increase their bid. If Team 2 raises their bid to INR 9 crore, then Team 1 can use the RTM and acquire Player X for INR 9 crore. If Team 2 chooses not to raise the bid and keeps it at INR 6 crore, Team 1 can use the RTM and get Player X for INR 6 crore.”

  Injury replacements and player loans

  Till IPL 2024, franchises had to seek a replacement for an injured player their seventh match of the season. From IPL 2025, teams can seek replacements till up to the 12th match in the league phase.The IPL has also decided to “reinstate” the player loan process, which can only be activated during the season. However, the rule has never been used to date.

  Rule change allows CSK to retain ‘uncapped’ Dhoni

  During a broader discussion on uncapped players, the IPL informed the franchises that it was reviving the rule it had started in 2008 but scrapped in 2021 – that of allowing Indian players who had retired from international cricket at least five years before the relevant season to go into the auction as uncapped players.”A capped Indian player will become uncapped if he has, in the five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant season is held, not played in the starting XI in international cricket and does not have a central contract with BCCI,” the release said. “This will be applicable for Indian players only.”This gives Chennai Super Kings the option of retaining their former captain MS Dhoni, whose last international match was at the 2019 ODI World Cup, as an uncapped player. Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, CSK had retained Dhoni as their second player for INR 12 crore. If they are to retain him now as an uncapped player, they can do so with INR 4 crore.

Hampshire bat out final day before declaring to deny visitors full bowling bonus points

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Hampshire 424 for 8 dec (Prest 156, Albert 124, Brown 54, Critchley 5-96) drew with Essex 438 for 8 dec (Cox 141, Elgar 136, Westley 64) Centuries from Toby Albert and Tom Prest gave a glimpse of Hampshire’s batting future as their Vitality County Championship clash with Essex petered into a draw.Both homegrown batters in their early 20s, they each scored exceptional hundreds filling in – with Albert playing in place of the injured Ali Orr, and Prest elevated up the order with James Vince unable to bat in his usual position.The duo made sure Essex’s low chances of forcing 19 wickets needed for victory became non-existent, with career-best scores of 124 and 156 respectively. Matt Critchley claimed a late 5 for 96 as both teams took away 14 points – a haul that is unlikely to worry table-toppers Surrey in the fight for the title.Hampshire began the day on 40 for 1, and 398 runs in arrears, with the initial plan to avoid the follow-on, and then hunt for batting bonus points. It turned out the quest was a simple one.Albert, with Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins, dead batted a way through the new ball the previous evening, on a pitch which offered zero help for the bowlers.The morning saw 106 runs for only the loss of Gubbins, for 30, after he tamely diverted to a catching midwicket following a 61-run stand with Albert.Albert, 21, has largely made the most of his chances at the top of the batting order, having replaced Orr – the former Sussex batter suffering a back injury and then a broken arm to curtail his season.He began with a maiden Championship century against Surrey in May, before impressing in the Vitality Blast – his batting styles vastly different between the formats.Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, reached his century in 199 balls, having cranked through the gears as the day progressed. He found a like-minded partner in Prest – who was initially due to bat at No. 7 before Vince suffered a niggle in the field, and due to his time off the pitch, wasn’t allowed to bat any higher.If Hampshire wanted a Vince doppelganger, they got it – both very watchable batters, who pace their innings seemingly for the enjoyment of the crowd.Prest had fully announced himself, after a couple of promising T20 campaigns, with a century against Essex at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford towards the end of last season. The 21-year-old missed the previous three Championship fixtures with a shoulder injury, but reached his third career ton in 141 deliveries – although only after he was dropped on 92 by Simon Harmer.Albert fell when reverse sweeping Critchley to deep point, which ended a 177-run partnership. But Ben Brown and Prest passed the follow-on target just before tea, before Prest began to eye up 450 – and full batting bonus points.At one point he had taken 52 runs, with Brown, in four overs – in which time he had hit Harmer for 14 and 19 in an over, brought up the century stand and reached a maiden 150.Prest fell for 156 when he advanced and holed out to long-off and Brown was bowled by Shane Snater for a 59-ball 54. Critchley then picked up Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Vince in the space of four balls to claim a five-wicket haul.On his departure, Vince decided to declare the innings, reckoning 450 runs was now above them, while preventing Essex gaining from maximum bowling points.

He also confirmed his participation in the SA20 in January, though his “absolute priority” is still playing for New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024Kane Williamson has confirmed that the SA20 will be his destination in January, after he declined a New Zealand central contract for the 2024-25 season, but added it was no indication that his international career was nearing an end.Williamson stressed that it was NZC’s rules around player availability to be eligible for a contract – they have to play Super Smash if not on international duty – that led him to make the decision, and that he remains committed to New Zealand outside of heading to South Africa.It could be that the only international cricket he misses is three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, although reported there was some doubt over his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September. Williamson will play the WTC series against Sri Lanka and India away, the three-match home series against England, and then make an ODI trip to Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Related

Kane Williamson opts out of New Zealand central contract for 2024-25

Williamson coy on T20I future after New Zealand's World Cup exit

Stats – Ferguson the silver lining in World Cup of lows for New Zealand

“There’s a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting,” Williamson told reporters on his return to New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. “Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract, however my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period.”It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me.”In terms of how far Williamson’s international career extends, the reported that he and NZC CEO Scott Weenink had discussed the 2028 T20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand and Australia when he would be 38. Publicly, Williamson remained coy although acknowledged major events and series – such as the Test series in Australia in 2026-27 – remained on his radar.”I want to play as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years. I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that.”In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. Want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. That [2028] is a number of years away and it’s a year at a time. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect. They are down the line. Managing my time as well as I can after doing it for so many years is important and I know New Zealand Cricket are really supportive of that.”Williamson added that he was keen to continue international cricket across three formats, although his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds from their group stage exit in West Indies.”Naturally after major events there are always different decisions that are made and you are always looking to bring different players through, but being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.Meanwhile, Weenink said that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson would only be offered to a handful of senior players, citing Trent Boult, who opted out of a central contract in 2022, and Tim Southee as others who had earned that option. However, Test captain Southee is expected to be on the next contract list.”Those guys have certainly earned the right to be treated in a certain way, in that we want to try and prolong their careers,” Weenink told the . “If we had a hard and fast rule around certain players like Kane Williamson, we would lose him to playing for New Zealand earlier than we would need to.”That casual contract is not going to be offered to everyone and going off contract is pretty risky. There’s a lot of advantages to being on a New Zealand central contract and we will be prioritising the players who are centrally contracted.”

And so, it all comes down to this. A pivotal game that could not only define a season, but also define the future of Manchester United.

Victory in the Europa League final would see United sneak into next year’s Champions League, providing the benefit of additional funds and an extra negotiating tool for upcoming transfer negotiations.

It would also provide a welcome boost for the early Ruben Amorim regime, a moment to kickstart a tenure that has been largely wretched on the Premier League front.

The Portuguese coach has repeatedly stated that winning the competition would not be enough to “save” the club’s season, although the prospect of potentially finishing empty-handed and in 17th in the table is too grim to ponder.

In truth, the Red Devils simply have to win. The problem is, the same will be true of Tottenham Hotspur, amid the need to end their own 17-year barren run with regard to silverware.

With so much riding on a game of immense magnitude, Amorim and co can’t afford any passengers – something which a certain Rasmus Hojlund is looking like right now.

Rasmus Hojlund's game in numbers vs Chelsea

While Ange Postecoglou took the decision to rest his key men against Aston Villa on Friday – with Micky van de Ven among those left out of the matchday squad at Villa Park – Amorim opted for a different approach at Chelsea, having deployed what could well be his starting lineup for tonight’s clash in Bilbao.

The worry for the former Sporting CP boss will be that despite an encouraging opening, which saw Harry Maguire’s fine finish chalked off for offside, the Red Devils still ended up on the losing side, having again failed to provide that cutting edge in the final third.

Amid what was the eighth league game in succession without a win for the Old Trafford side, chances were few and far between, with Amad Diallo coming closest with an effort from the angle late on.

For Hojlund, meanwhile, it represented yet another game this season in which he failed to even register a shot in the top-flight, having merely been a bystander to proceedings at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, the struggling Dane lost the ball on 13 occasions from his 26 touches, as per Sofascore, having also failed to complete a single successful dribble, alongside recording a 65% pass accuracy rate.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

A particular issue remains the 22-year-old’s desire to engage in needless battles with opposition centre-backs, as he ultimately won just two of his 11 total duels, getting little change out of Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill.

Amorim subsequently stated that he is “really happy” with the former Atalanta man, although perhaps the Portuguese is merely attempting to gee up the misfiring marksman, amid the lack of an obvious alternative through the middle.

Indeed, it might be time to consider actually replacing Hojlund with a wildcard solution, even if it would be a risk in a game of such importance…

How Man Utd can replace Hojlund

With just ten goals to his name in 2024/25, including just four in the top-flight, Hojlund is approaching the end of a miserable second season in Manchester, having failed to build on a debut campaign that saw him finish as the club’s highest scorer in all competitions.

Those woes have ensured that it would be worth considering a potential centre-forward replacement for Wednesday night’s clash, albeit with options limited due to Joshua Zirkzee’s recent absence through injury.

The Dutchman has been pictured in training, alongside Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot, although whether he will be rushed back into the action this evening remains to be seen.

One solution may be to trial Kobbie Mainoo in that role once again, following his surprise start as a striker against Crystal Palace in February, albeit with that experiment failing to work out as the youngster ‘faded after the first 15 minutes’, as per journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

The aforementioned Maguire, meanwhile, should surely only be a last resort in the dying embers of a game, with the Englishman needed to hold the fort defensively, amid concerns over the likes of Matthijs de Ligt.

With that in mind, Amorim may instead need to call upon talismanic skipper, Bruno Fernandes, to slot into a false nine berth, with the 30-year-old yet to be trialled in that role in this 3-4-3 system.

The Portugal star has previously played in that central berth in the past, having notably worked in tandem with Scott McTominay as part of a front two in last year’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

A player of invaluable versatility and quality, the playmaking “genius” – as hailed by Erik ten Hag – appears to thrive wherever he is deployed, with such a switch then allowing Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte to offer greater defensive solidity as part of the midfield two.

Fernandes, meanwhile, could then be flanked by two of Alejandro Garnacho, Amad and Mason Mount in the number ten berths, with that fluid frontline potentially able to cause problems for a Spurs side who have endured their own notable woes this term.

A further benefit of that switch would be Fernandes’ ability to drop deep and drag the likes of Van de Ven and Cristian Romero with him, rather than the alternative of Hojlund attempting to engage in a duel with the stellar duo.

As The Athletic’s Jay Harris has noted, ‘with Van de Ven and Romero in the starting XI, Spurs can play thrilling football and look capable of competing for trophies. Without them, they look mediocre.’

Trying to get the better of the centre-back pairing will be vital at San Mames, with Fernandes able to give the two men something more to think about, rather than being content in dealing with the hapless Hojlund.

Yes, it would be a bold call to make such a switch for a final, yet with his performance at Stamford Bridge having been so underpar last time out, Hojlund can’t merely be guaranteed of start simply because of the lack of alternatives.

Man Utd flop who should be "fourth choice" has been even worse than Onana

This Manchester United flop has been an even worse signing than Andre Onana.

By
Dan Emery

May 20, 2025

Over the last couple of years, Chelsea have been known to splash the cash in the transfer market, with Enzo Maresca the beneficiary of the investment from the hierarchy.

Since the takeover in May 2022, the board has invested over £1.3b into players to improve the first-team squad, whilst also keeping one eye on the future with the funds spent on youngsters.

Given the previous history in the window, it would be no surprise to anyone if the Blues spent heavily once again this summer as they look to provide the manager with added reinforcements.

With Champions League football potentially on the cards in 2025/26, added squad depth is also needed to compete, opening the door to further summer arrivals.

One position in particular is in serious need of investment this summer, with Maresca still yet to land any targets he desires after taking the reins last year.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker

Ever since the Italian took over from Mauricio Pochettino, he’s been demanding a new talisman at the top end of the pitch to help him in his quest to fight at the top end of the Premier League table.

Benjamin Sesko is one player who’s been largely touted with a move to Stamford Bridge over the last 12 months, with his name emerging on the list once again ahead of this summer.

The RB Leipzig star was named on a shortlist of strikers who the club are targeting in the coming months, a decision which is understandable given his record of 20 goals in 41 appearances this season.

However, he’s not alone on that list, with Ipswich Town centre forward Liam Delap also a name mentioned with a big-money transfer to West London.

According to Graeme Bailey, the Blues are leading the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, with the hierarchy willing to trigger his £30m release clause to reunite the pair after their time together at Manchester City.

Why a £30m PL star would be better than Sesko for Chelsea

Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson has been Chelsea’s number one striker over the last couple of seasons, but injuries have massively restricted him throughout 2024/25.

He’s only made 27 league appearances, scoring just nine goals, with Maresca desperately needing a new talisman in forward areas to catapult them to success in the near future.

Such form has led to links to Sesko, but if they are to complete any deal for the 21-year-old sensation, it would set them back at least £60m given his tender age and goalscoring record.

However, the recent emergence of a move for Delap could provide a cheaper alternative for the hierarchy, but it would also hand Maresca a better option in forward areas.

The fact the pair have previously worked together is a huge advantage in their pursuit, but when also comparing his figures to those of Sesko, he’s managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – showcasing how much of a superb addition he would be for the Blues.

The Ipswich ace, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has matched the Slovenian for goals scored, showcasing the attacking threat he possesses – offering that clinical edge the side have lacked.

He’s also managed to achieve a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, whilst registering more shot-creating actions, further offering Maresca an added threat should he move to the Bridge.

Delap has proven his all-round nature in the Premier League this season, attempting more take-ons and also completing more carries into the final third than Sesko – with the Englishman undoubtedly a better option.

There’s no denying that both players would improve the current centre-forward department in West London, further bolstering the ranks ahead of a potential title charge in 2025/26.

However, if they are to have the greatest chance of edging closer to such a feat, it’s evident from the figures produced that the Tractor Boys star is the man whom the hierarchy need to pursue a move in the coming months.

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By
Connor Holden

Apr 25, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed win on the weekend, just their 11th in the Premier League, but it’s done little to boost morale.

This season has been an unmitigated disaster for the North Londoners, as while there is still a chance they could win the Europa League, they look destined to finish in the bottom half of the league table, with more losses than wins.

Now, there are a few reasons for this dramatic collapse in form from Ange Postecoglou’s men, but perhaps the most significant has been the near-endless stream of defensive injuries they’ve had to deal with.

For example, neither Micky van de Ven nor Cristian Romero has made even 20 appearances this year, and now it looks like they may lose the latter for good in the summer. Still, they might also already have the perfect replacement in a youngster out on loan.

Romero's unsure future

Romero moved to Spurs on a loan deal with an option to buy back in the summer of 2021 and, since then, has become an essential part of the squad and first team.

In all, the World Cup winner has made 117 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals, providing one assist, and becoming one of the co-vice captains under Postecoglou’s tenure.

However, this rapid rise and impressive form for the team – alongside his international exploits – has seen other major teams from the continent take notice.

For example, earlier this year, it was widely reported that Real Madrid were keen on signing the former Juventus ace in the summer, while more reports from the last few weeks have revealed that Atlético Madrid are now just as interested.

In fact, just last week, it was reported that Diego Simeone had personally contacted the player and that, due to a mutual interest in making the transfer happen, he might be able to leave N17 for around £67m.

There is no doubt that losing a defender of Romero’s calibre would be a blow for Spurs, but it might not all be doom and gloom, as the club might already have the perfect replacement in an exceptionally exciting youngster.

The Spurs youngster who could replace Romero

So, if Romero does leave in the summer, the board will likely replace him with the fee he earns them, but there might already be a perfect replacement in the squad by then: Luka Vušković.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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Yes, he might not be a name that everyone is familiar with yet, but based on his performances this season and the way those in the know speak about him, he most certainly will be.

The North Londoners signed the Croatian wonderkid in September 2023, but being just 16 at the time, post-Brexit rules around registering foreign players under 18 mean he cannot officially join the team until this summer.

So, with him unable to move to England this season, the “freak talent,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, joined Belgian outfit KVC Waterloo last July, and to say he’s enjoying a good season would be an understatement.

Despite only turning 18 in February, he has made 29 first-team appearances so far, in which he’s helped to keep five clean sheets. More impressive than that, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists.

This level of output for such a young defender suggests he’d be able to at least match the attacking threat Romero has, and with him already being 6 foot 4, there is no way he’d be bullied by opposition players.

Vušković’s 24/25

Player

Vušković

Appearances

29

Clean Sheets

5

Goals

7

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, he’s no slouch when it comes to the defensive side of the game either, with FOTmob revealing that he wins 6.09 duels and 4.05 aerial duels per 90 while also making 5.74 recoveries.

For comparison, Romero wins 5.46 duels and just 2.45 aerial duels per 90 while also making slightly fewer recoveries at 5.39 per 90.

Ultimately, we are not saying that Vušković will be able to immediately replicate what Romero can do next season.

However, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting defensive prospects around, and with the right coaching, he could reach that level sooner than people expect, which would soften the Argentine’s departure.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 7, 2025

The visitors were left with plenty to ponder after their batting struggled in spin-friendly conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Aug-20245:39

India’s batting (except Rohit’s) against spin a sign of concern

Mohammed Siraj is fired up. Halfway through his seventh over, the 39th of the innings, he strides down the pitch and sprays a few angry words at Kusal Mendis, who responds in kind.In his next over, Siraj bowls a ball to Janith Liyanage that the batter drives back at him. Siraj picks the ball up in his follow through, and flings it at the stumps, and misses. The batter would have been back safely in any case.In the background of that shy at the stump is Virat Kohli, applauding the bowler’s aggression. Through the course of these middle overs, Kohli has gone through some big emotions of his own. He’s celebrated wickets with more verve than the bowlers and yelled at exiting batters, appealed so vociferously it felt like his lungs might come flying out of his body. He’s backed up every move of the bowlers like they were boxers at the Olympics and he was their coach in the corner.Related

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At one point he fields the ball at short mid on and throws at the stumps but hits the pad of Charith Asalanka. The batter had not only never seriously attempted a run, he’s so far home he’s fallen asleep in front of a Netflix documentary.But none of this is massively out of the ordinary. We have seen Siraj this fired up before. For Kohli, this is like a six out of 10 on the macho-flailing scale.But this is what is truly surprising. Kohli has played many matches against Sri Lanka in which he has found no need to reach into the angrier portions of his heart. Siraj has usually had a very high smile-to-grimace ratio when facing this opposition.And now all this aggression has been accessed for Sri Lanka? Wow. Should they be blushing? Is this for real?

A 27-year wait is over for Sri Lanka #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/Jg8vZaY2zO

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 7, 2024

Before this series, Sri Lanka had played 19 ODIs against India since the start of 2015, and lost 16 of those games. The most recent memories were of being bowled out for 55 at the Wankhede in the World Cup and being blasted out for 50 in the Asia Cup final last year, when Siraj took 6 for 21 at this very venue and was inflicting so much trauma it seemed more appropriate for India’s players to cuddle Sri Lanka’s batters rather than cuss at them.But through the course of this ODI series, this Sri Lanka team, ranked seventh in ODIs, who finished ninth in last year’s World Cup and as such have not qualified for the Champions Trophy, who struggle to get their seam bowlers on the field, and who haven’t made a global-tournament semi-final in 10 years, has asked some serious questions of an India side whose ambitions are world domination.A quick rundown of those questions:

• Are India a little shaky on big-turning tracks, given the results in their last four ODIs in Asia? This series was three matches long. This was their fourth match back.
• Are they over-reliant on Jasprit Bumrah at the death? He was rested for this series, but Sri Lanka’s lower-middle order and lower order produced strong showings and reached totals that proved to be beyond India’s batters.
• Should they keep persisting with floating batters in the middle overs, prioritising left-right combinations over more strongly-defined roles for each batter?
• Are they better off with predictable KL Rahul or mad genius Rishabh Pant?

This is not an exhaustive list of questions. But for Sri Lanka the list is so much shorter, because for a team not playing next year’s Champions Trophy so little beyond the present matters, in ODIs.Their only worry is whether they can be competitive in anything other than extremely spin-friendly conditions. Almost everyone in Sri Lankan cricket – players, administrators, coaches, support staff, fans – has this question in mind right now. But they will happily take Siraj being this angry at their batters. They will take Kohli being this expressive.Sri Lanka gave India a rare dusting up•Associated PressAnd they should take captain Asalanka being realistic. When asked whether he took pride in achieving a bilateral series victory over India that had eluded even greats of the Sri Lankan team such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and others, he said:”I don’t think we’re at the level of those players. I think we have the potential, but at ICC tournaments those players took us very far. That’s how we were able to have global recognition. I don’t think we can be equals to those players at the moment. But as a captain I’m happy we were able to defeat a team as good as this. This is a process. We have some talented players. If we manage them and look after them, we can go far.”Sri Lanka have more modest ODI goals now than they have had in roughly 25 years. India are aiming higher than ever. Right now, it’s enough to just have shaken India up a little.