49ers make £70m: AI predicts which players Leeds United will sell this summer

Leeds United will be looking to buck the recent trend and remain in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship.

To do that, the 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke may need to sign plenty of new players, while also shipping some out who they feel aren’t good enough to make an impact in the top flight.

The transfer activity at Elland Road is already underway, and it promises to be a frantic few months away from the pitch. Grok, the AI tool on X, has already predicted signings Leeds could make this summer.

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To maintain a solid position with PSR, though, the Whites may also look to cash in on a number of players before the deadline, some of which played a regular role in their promotion from the Championship. Now, Grok has also predicted Leeds’ summer sales.

AI predicts 6 players Leeds United will sell this summer 1 Illan Meslier (£20m)

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier struggled last season in the second tier, making a number of errors that cost Leeds points.

The Frenchman was dropped by Farke for the run-in, and Leeds are expected to sign a new first choice keeper to replace the 25-year-old.

Grok says Meslier’s ‘Premier League experience and age make him valuable’, estimating a fee in the region of £20m which would represent a big profit for the Whites.

2 Brenden Aaronson (£15m)

Another player who struggled to set the Championship alight was Brenden Aaronson, with left-back Junior Firpo recording more goal contributions in the second tier.

Leeds’ only out-and-out attacking midfielder, the chances of an Aaronson exit are described as moderate, with a £15m fee mooted.

It is added that ‘interest from European clubs could prompt a sale, but Farke may give him a chance to prove himself in the Premier League’.

3 Jack Harrison (£12m)

One transfer that won’t surprise many Leeds fans would be if Jack Harrison completed a permanent Elland Road exit.

After spending the last two seasons on loan at Everton, the winger won’t be moving to the Toffees on a permanent basis.

Jack Harrison’s stats at Leeds

Games

206

Goals

34

Assists

32

Minutes played

15,734

Grok have a departure worth £12m down as a high possibility, saying his ‘prolonged absence and Farke’s focus on new wingers make a permanent exit likely’.

4 Mateo Joseph (£10m)

Mateo Joseph’s potential exit could help Leeds from a PSR standpoint, and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Betis this summer.

The Spaniard failed to score on a regular basis after beginning the previous campaign as first choice.

AI states ‘Leeds are reluctant to sell young talents, but a lucrative offer from Betis could sway them’ and have placed a £10m fee on any possible deal.

5 Max Wober (£8m)

Defender Max Wober has already admitted that Leeds are planning to sell him this summer, so it comes as no surprise that he is on Grok’s list.

The Austrian, like Aaronson, returned from a loan spell in Germany to help the Whites to promotion, although he wasn’t a regular under Farke.

Signed for around £10m in 2023, Leeds could still bring in £8m for the centre-back, according to Grok.

6 Joe Gelhardt (£5m)

The last player on AI’s predicted exit list is Joe Gelhardt, who again looks surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

The forward was loaned out to Hull City for the second half of the 24/25 season and helped the Tigers stay up, and he still has two years left on his Whites contract.

Leeds are open to offers for Gelhardt, though, and Grok says a £5m exit could be on the cards.

Not just Nawrocki: Exciting Celtic star just made himself unsellable

Celtic played their final away game of the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night and secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers named a much-changed side and got the win thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Adam Idah.

It was a night for the rarely-seen Celtic players, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo, and Nawrocki is certainly one of those who grasped his chance.

Why Rodgers should be impressed by Nawrocki

The Polish defender made just his third start of the Premiership campaign and caught the eye with an impressive display at the heart of the defence.

Playing on his favoured right side for the first time this term, Nawrocki completed an eye-catching 130 of his 136 attempted passes on the night and only lost possession nine times in total, as well as scoring the opener from a corner.

Defensively, the former Legia Warsaw star made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions to keep Aberdeen at bay, including one huge sliding block when facing a one-on-one in the box in the second half.

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Rodgers should, therefore, have been impressed by his combination of composed play in possession and stoic defensive work, but the manager should have been encouraged by Johnny Kenny’s display in the centre-forward position.

Why Johnny Kenny is now unsellable

The young marksman had not had many opportunities to impress in the second half of the season, with just six substitute appearances in the league, and his lack of game time may have led to question marks over his future heading into the summer transfer window.

However, the 21-year-old striker was finally given a chance to show his quality from the start and showed why he should be unsellable this summer for the Hoops, with a performance that shows that he can be part of the first-team squad next season.

Celtic need another number nine option to compete with Idah and Daizen Maeda, and Kenny’s showing against Aberdeen suggests that he can be that man.

Minutes

70

Shots on target

2

Goals

1

Passes completed

8/11

Duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international scored with one of his two shots on target, with a well-placed header from McCowan’s cross, and showcased his physicality by winning all of his aerial duels.

Kenny scored 13 goals in 19 starts in the Irish Premier Division in 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers, and has now shown a glimpse of the kind of goalscoring quality he can bring to Celtic.

He is an exciting young striker with the physical qualities, as shown by his statistics against Aberdeen, and the goalscoring record to develop into a fine option for Rodgers, as proven by his performance on Wednesday.

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Therefore, the club should not look to move him on this summer, despite his general lack of game time in the last few months, and the manager should, instead, make him a regular player off the bench and occasionally from the start.

He plays a lot like Wirtz: Liverpool plot huge move to sign £85m "magician"

This is going to be a big summer for Liverpool. Bigger, perhaps, than any stretch of off-season at Anfield since Phil Coutinho was sold to Barcelona for an exorbitant fee and Alisson and Virgil van Dijk were brought in as replacements.

FSG have a bit of a reputation for being frugal in the transfer market, but Liverpool are hardly averse to strengthening and know that they have chinks to cover if they are to successfully defend their Premier League title next season, challenge for the Champions League too.

But with Trent Alexander-Arnold off to Real Madrid, Andy Robertson declining, Darwin Nunez set to be sold after a disappointing three terms, Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation uncertain, and Ryan Gravenberch lacking competition at number six, it’s understandable that Arne Slot should demand investment.

That exhausting list isn’t actually exhaustive, though. Liverpool are always attentive to opportunities, and what’s bigger than Florian Wirtz’s desire to leave Bayer Leverkusen in search of a new challenge?

Liverpool's pursuit of Florian Wirtz

Former Leverkusen star Patrick Helmes remarked at the start of the season that Wirtz is “probably the best midfielder in the world.” He may well be right.

Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz

Wirtz, certainly, is one of the most exciting and entertaining playmakers in the business, having played an instrumental role in Xabi Alonso’s invincible domestic double last year and now finishing the current campaign with 31 goal involvements to his name.

Though he typically operates from a number ten berth, the Germany international is proven across a whole range of attacking positions, with his seasonal Bundesliga heatmap, sourced via Sofascore, denoting a left-leaning preference.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

While Bayern Munich have the lead in the race for the attacking midfielder, Liverpool and Manchester City are both hot on his trail, as per The Athletic.

Who knows where he’ll end up, but given Die Werkself are looking to claim some £101m for his sale, Liverpool have lined up alternatives.

Liverpool eyeing marquee deal

Liverpool will lose Alexander-Arnold this summer, and, yes, it would be a shock if he didn’t sign for Real Madrid. However, Rodrygo may travel in the opposite direction, having been left disgruntled by his role at Los Blancos this year.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are plotting to make their move for the Brazilian forward, who would cost FSG something in the region of £85m.

Arsenal are also named as suitors, but it’s said that Mikel Arteta’s side are deterred by Real Madrid’s financial demands, thus leaving the door open for Liverpool to make their move as the Gunners not wanting to pay the fee could give them an advantage in the race to sign him.

Scout Mick Brown is quoted as saying that the Reds are not happy with their current forward options and that they could make a move for the Brazilian if he becomes available this summer.

Why Rodrygo would be perfect for Liverpool

Only a few months ago, in March, Jude Bellingham claimed Rodrygo is “the most gifted player in the squad.”

There’s been something selfless about the versatile winger’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu, for he has never quite reached the reputation of his frontal peers yet has been one of the most important players under Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.

Across 267 appearances for Real, Rodrygo has notched 118 goal contributions, a very good return when considering he arrived at the club an 18-year-old in 2019, leaving his Brazilian homeland, leaving Santos.

It might not have been the best of seasons for the South American, but he’s still showcased his skills wonderfully. As per Sofascore, the £202k-per-week talent has still hit six goals and five assists from just 22 La Liga starts, averaging 1.6 dribbles and key passes per game while winning 56% of his ground duels.

Real Madrid rarely sell players they don’t want to, but Rodrygo’s situation is a little more complex: with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both nailed down in their left and central berths, Liverpool’s target has been ferried off to the right, where he’s at his most ineffective.

Despite Rodrygo’s frustrations this season, deployed in his favoured left-sided position only 12 times (though scoring six goals and supplying six assists), he has played 50 games and still stands firm against Wirtz. He’s even been described as a “magician” by Statman Dave.

In balmier conditions, angled toward breeding positivity for the wideman, there’s no telling how far he could climb. Slot has something of a knack for getting the best out of bothered stars, and Rodrygo could be next, having been praised for being a “more mature player” than compatriot Vini by former Brazil boss Tite.

A man for the big moments, you’d be surprised if Rodrygo didn’t have a say in Liverpool’s efforts on the continental front going forward, should Slot win the race for his services.

It’s not just his clutch moments, though, with an underlying surety in his actions illustrating his world-class quality. As per FBref, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and for carries into the final third and the top 12% for passes attempted.

Rodrygo is fleet-footed, but he’s also inventive and crisp on the ball. Eager to get on it, his vicious blend of deadliness and dynamism suggests he would be a tailor-made addition to Slot’s project, especially if the Dutch coach is willing to unleash him from the left flank, as the player wishes but rarely receives in the Spanish capital.

Ultimately, either Rodrygo or Wirtz would have a significant impact on a flourishing Liverpool side. Wirtz might feel like the most favourable pick, but the £85m-rated star’s stunning career has merely lulled this year, and if Slot were to pick him back up from the Madrid wayside, he might just take his team to the next level.

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He outperformed Trent: Liverpool star just made himself undroppable

Liverpool moved one step closer to winning the Premier League title, whilst relegating their opponents in the process, by beating Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

The Reds battled hard throughout the game to take the lead, but had to wait until deep into the second half to find the opening strike from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Arne Slot brought the defender off the bench in the second 45 and was rewarded with a match-winning cameo from the academy graduate, who is out of contract this summer.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's match-winning display

The England international came off the bench to secure all three points for the Reds with his goal in the second half, after Conor Bradley started the game.

Alexander-Arnold had only scored two goals in 28 matches in the Premier League before Sunday’s match, yet the full-back stepped up to seal the win with a superbly hit left-footed strike that was too hot for Mads Hermansen to handle.

His match-winning display was not perfect, though, as his use of the ball outside of that goal was not up to usual standards, completing 50% (4/8) of his attempted passes and losing possession eight times from 15 touches.

This could have provided Leicester with a route back into the match late on in the game, as he was consistently giving them the ball back, but the hosts did not have the quality to make anything out of their extra possessions.

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There was a Liverpool player who was even better than the match-winner on the day, as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai made himself undroppable with a superb all-round display from the start.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai is undroppable

The Hungary international was left out of the XI in the narrow win over West Ham at Anfield last time out, as Curtis Jones started ahead of him, but he has just made himself undroppable with an excellent showing.

Szoboszlai should keep his place ahead of the England international after an incredibly efficient and creative display in the middle of the park against Leicester.

The midfield whiz, who was once described as “magic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates, which they failed to take, and only lost possession twice from 46 touches of the ball.

Minutes

71

68

xG + xA

0.37

0.28

Big chances created

2

0

Duels won

2/4

2/5

Possession lost

2x

5x

Dribbled past

0x

0x

As you can see in the table above, Szoboszlai outperformed Jones in that midfield role after the Englishman failed to create any chances, let alone ‘big chances’, in the West Ham clash.

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates for Liverpool

The Hungarian dynamo, who lost possession fewer times than Alexander-Arnold despite playing 52 more minutes, should now be undroppable in that position ahead of Jones, after significantly outperforming him.

Szoboszlai was also more impressive than the match-winner for Liverpool because the rest of the defender’s performance outside of the strike left a bit to be desired, whilst the former RB Leipzig man was excellent on and off the ball throughout his time on the pitch in midfield.

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Slot must, now, keep the creative maestro in the starting line-up for the club’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Premier League next weekend.

Dre Russ: KKR's six-hitting legend and prolific wicket-taker

Russell was among only two allrounders in IPL history to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets

Shubh Agarwal30-Nov-2025Andre Russell has retired from the IPL as a player, culminating one of the most influential careers in the league, especially for an overseas player. Making his debut in 2012, Russell featured in 140 IPL games – seven for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and 133 for Kolkata Knight Riders – scoring 2,651 runs at a strike rate of 174.17 and picking 123 wickets. Here are some of the statistical highlights from his IPL career.2 – Russell is among only two allrounders in IPL history to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets. Only Ravindra Jadeja (3260 runs and 170 wickets) has matched this feat.174.71 – Russell’s strike rate in the IPL is the highest for any batter with over 1500 runs. The next on the list is Nicholas Pooran, who has a strike rate of 168.97 for his 2293 runs in this league.Related

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204.81 – Russell’s strike rate in the 2019 IPL season. It is the only occasion of a batter amassing over 500 runs in an IPL season with a strike rate in excess of 200. Russell scored 510 runs in IPL 2019 at an average of 56.66 in what was his most productive year with the bat. Only two other batters have achieved the double of averaging above 50 at a strike rate of more than 200 in an IPL season – Brendon McCullum in 2008 and MS Dhoni in 2024.100 – Sixes Russell hit in the death overs (overs 17 to 20), making him one among only four batters with 100 or more sixes in that phase in the IPL.

Overall, Russell struck 223 sixes in the IPL, the joint seventh-most in the IPL, alongside Kieron Pollard.88* – Russell’s highest score in the IPL which came against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018 while batting at No. 7. It is the highest individual score by a batter at No. 7 or below in the IPL.369.23 – Russell’s strike rate during his knock of 48* off 13 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2019. It is the highest strike rate in a successful chase of 200 or more in the IPL (minimum 30 runs in the innings).4 – Russell is among only four players to feature in more than 100 IPL games for KKR with his tally of 133 matches, second only to Sunil Narine’s 189. Overall, only six overseas players have played more than 100 matches for a franchise. Russell is fourth on that list, highlighting his significance in KKR’s camp for over a decade.

16 – Times Russell won the Player-of-the-Match award in the IPL, all for KKR. Only Narine won more such awards in KKR colors (17). Russell also won the Most Valuable Player of the season award in 2019.2 – Players to have picked over 100 wickets for KKR. Russell’s total of 122 wickets for KKR is only second to Narine’s 192. Among fast bowlers, Russell tops the list; Umesh Yadav was the second-best seamer for KKR, with 65 wickets.5 for 15 – Russell’s bowling figures against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021. These are the best bowling figures for a KKR bowler in IPL history.

What more can Sarfaraz Khan do to get selected for India?

Perhaps he needs to show the selectors he can score runs in the top order

Sidharth Monga28-Jun-2023After India’s selection for the tour of the West Indies, former Test captain Sunil Gavaskar asked a pertinent question: “Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring at an average of 100 in the past three seasons. What does he have to do to be picked in the [Test] squad?”Sarfaraz is indeed averaging 106.07 in first-class cricket since the start of 2020. The selectors are in a no-win situation here. Forget explaining Sarfaraz’s prolonged exclusion, they aren’t even allowed to say whether Mohammed Shami has been rested or is injured. So it’s tricky to tell a player like Sarfaraz that they aren’t considered good enough to play for India despite all the runs they have amassed, but it is something you hope they are doing in a sensitive manner.However, we are not completely in the dark. There is one plausible cricketing reason for Sarfaraz’s non-selection. A pattern you can identify without a selector’s insight: of Sarfaraz’s 3505 first-class runs, 3348 have come at No. 5 or below.Related

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Jaiswal and Gaikwad in India's Test squad

Since 2006, around when ESPNcricinfo’s Statsguru added filters for batting positions in domestic first-class cricket, India have had 54 Test debutants. Among them, Karun Nair is the only specialist batter with a major chunk of his Ranji Trophy runs before his Test debut at No. 5 or below. Even Nair had moved to No. 4 in the season immediately prior to his India debut.So none of the big performers at No. 5 or below since 2006 has gone on to play Test cricket for India as a specialist batter. Apart from Sarfaraz, that list includes Manish Pandey (average 65) and Ambati Rayudu (average 60). Those who did make it to were Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel. They are either allrounders or wicketkeepers batting ahead of their usual station to prove their batting prowess for Test selection.Two interesting names in that list might tell you why first-class runs outside the top four are probably given less weightage. Ajay Jadeja and Amol Muzumdar averaged 67 and 53 in the lower-middle order but these stats are only 2005-06 onwards, indicating that they batted there only at the end of their careers. In the Ranji Trophy, a good batter bats in the lower-middle order usually at the start or the end of his career.The common assumption is that if you don’t bat in the top four, you aren’t even among the best batters of your domestic side. You don’t face the new ball and bowlers are usually tired by the time you’re into bat. Ranji teams don’t have the depth that international bowling attacks do to challenge batters. Even if you come in at a precarious 50 for 3 – and Sarfaraz has scored runs from similar situations – the ball is likely about 15 overs old and the weaker bowlers are operating.All the specialist batters with decently long Test careers for India have batted in the top four in domestic cricket. In all, 36 players have scored 2000-plus runs in the top seven for India. Take out the three wicketkeepers and four allrounders, and only one of the remaining 29 spent a considerable amount of time batting outside the top four in domestic first-class cricket. That man was Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who played a lot of his domestic cricket on the county circuit in England.13:15

Are India’s selectors undervaluing domestic cricket?

The general trend for a young batter in India is to start his first-class career at No. 5 or 6 and then move up the order before the national selectors come calling. A classic case perhaps is Muzumdar, a prolific batter with no Test cap, who spent a fair bit of time outside the top four for Mumbai. Quite often, he couldn’t have done much about it: he had to bat behind Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.In Sarfaraz’s case, there have been times when he has had to bat behind the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane, but it hasn’t always been so. And this year a lot of those players will be away on India duty, so Sarfaraz can have the opportunity.This is not to say that Sarfaraz is not a good batter and won’t do well against the new ball, fresh bowlers and stronger attacks, but perhaps the selectors haven’t seen enough evidence of that yet. It sounds like an extremely ruthless approach to selection, but selection in India is a ruthless job. There is so much batting talent in the country that you have to tick extra boxes to get into the best seven or eight.Now we don’t know whether Sarfaraz has received any feedback from the selectors or the team management, but the answer to Gavaskar’s question is perhaps this. What more does Sarfaraz have to get picked in India’s Test squad? Probably bat higher in Mumbai’s line-up and give the selectors more reasons to select him. Or fewer reasons to ignore him, because the predominant narrative at the moment is that they are denying him a spot rather than giving him constructive feedback on how to earn that India Test cap.

All you wanted to know about Riley Meredith, one of the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history

The Australian quick was bought by Punjab Kings for INR 8 crore (US$ 1.096 million approx.)

Matt Roller18-Feb-2021Early days
Meredith made his professional debut playing for a Cricket Australia XI against Pakistan in early 2017, and played a handful of games for Tasmania in the 2017-18 season. An injury to Tymal Mills gave him an opportunity to play in the semi-final and final of the BBL that year – the first two T20s of his career – in an attack also containing Jofra Archer.Breakthrough season
The 2018-19 period proved to be a breakthrough home summer for Meredith across formats. He took 27 wickets for Tasmania in eight Sheffield Shield appearances, and snared 16 in the BBL as the Hobart Hurricanes reached the semi-finals. By that stage, he was already being tipped for international selection by Warne, who has proved to be a vocal advocate of Meredith’s talents over the last three years.Australia call
A side strain limited Meredith to just six BBL appearances in 2019-20, though he bowled at high pace when he did make it on to the park, taking ten wickets with an economy rate of just 6.68 across the season, and he dismissed both David Warner and Steven Smith in a Marsh Cup game against New South Wales. By that stage, his performances had caught the eyes of Australia’s selectors, and he won a call-up to the expanded limited-overs squad to tour England in 2020, though was not afforded an opportunity to play.Recent form
Meredith again impressed with his pace and bounce in the 2020-21 BBL, taking 16 wickets and maintaining an economy rate of 7.82 despite bowling a significant chunk of his overs in the initial four-over powerplay and often returning at the death. He has been named in Australia’s squad for their T20I series in New Zealand later this month.IPL hopes
Meredith expressed his ambitions of playing in the IPL last year. “It’s the premier domestic T20 comp in the world,” he said on a BBC podcast. “The best players are playing in it and if you get an opportunity to play in it, you’re definitely grabbing it with both hands. If I got an opportunity at some stage it would be awesome to get over there and play.”Off the field
Meredith is instantly recognisably after growing a Fred Spofforth-style moustache during the lockdown. He owns a greyhound named Elton.The expert view
“There’s been a bit of chat around him for a couple of domestic seasons now. He bowls fast. I think that’s a great thing about him, he can just run in and express himself with the ball now. If he gets his chance in Australian colours I think he’ll take it with both hands.”

Not just Yang & Scales: 18-touch Celtic dud must be dropped by Rodgers

Celtic’s miserable season continues. On Sunday, Brendan Rodgers’ side suffered their first Premiership defeat of the campaign, losing 2-0 at Dens Park against Dundee, both goals coming in the first half, the second of which was an unfortunate Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal.

This was the Hoops’ first defeat at Dens since 1988, leaving them five points adrift league leaders Hearts, who they face at Tynecastle in a mouthwatering contest next Sunday.

Before then, the Celts are under pressure to get off the mark in the Europa League too, having yielded just one point from their first two matches, welcoming Austrian champions Sturm Graz to Parkhead on Thursday.

Ahead of these two massive fixtures, which Celtic summer signing should be concerned about losing his place in the starting lineup? Well, Yang is certainly one of them.

Why Yang was hooked at half time at Dundee

Among many players who offered very little on Sunday was Yang Hyun-Jun.

With Daizen Maeda sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Yang came into attack, chosen over James Forrest and summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Well, the Korea Republic international touched the ball 25 times in the first half, attempting zero dribbles, so Chris Sutton, speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage at half time, asserted “just get him off”, adding that he’d offered absolutely nothing.

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Well, Rodgers must’ve been listening, because Forrest replaced Yang during the interval, bringing to an end his first Premiership start since 23 August.

Meantime, at the other end of the pitch, Liam Scales endured a nightmare afternoon, turned inside and out by Dundee forwards Simon Murray, Cameron Congreve and Joe Westley, who caused the Celtic back-line problems all afternoon.

However, it is neither Scales nor Yang who should be most worried about their starting spot following this catastrophic defeat to Steven Pressley’s side who, lest we forget, were pre-season favourites for relegation.

Celtic star Rodgers must drop

As has been well documented, at the moment the transfer window slammed shut, Celtic did not have a senior centre-forward in their squad, following the sale of Adam Idah to Swansea City.

Thus, Kelechi Iheanacho arrived as a free agent, making a decent start to life in Glasgow in fairness to him, converting penalties against both Kilmarnock and Motherwell, as well as netting against Crvena zvezda in the Europa League.

However, as the table below documents, the Nigerian was completely anonymous in Dundee on Sunday.

Shots on target

1

1st

Shots off target

3

1st

Big chances missed

1

1st

Hit woodwork

1

1st

Big chances created

1

4th

Key passes

1

8th

Duels won

1

25th

Touches

20

23rd

Iheanacho did rank highly for shots, mustering four in total, the most of any player, but this didn’t yield anything, thwacking the woodwork once as well as missing one Opta-defined big chance.

He also won only 50% of his duels while, most concerningly, he touched the ball just 20 times, the same number as Balikwisha, who was introduced in the 64th minute and 15 fewer than ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Considering Iheanacho played only around 1,300 minutes last season for Middlesbrough and Sevilla, he was always going to need time to get up to speed, and that was certainly apparent at the weekend.

Had Maeda been fit, he would surely have dropped out of the team on Thursday, although youngster Johnny Kenny, who came on at half-time, is talented enough to displace Iheanacho, so may feel he deserves an opportunity.

Thus, with huge games against Sturm Graz, Hearts, Midtjylland and Rangers to come in the next fortnight, the Celts’ may stand a better chance of winning these matches with the Nigerian left in reserve, utilised as an option off the bench.

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1 Oct 19, 2025

Mushfiqur, Litton, bowlers put Bangladesh on top

Ireland lost five wickets for 98 in reply to 476 to put Bangladesh in a strong position on the second day of the Dhaka Test. The day started with Mushfiqur Rahim reaching his century in his 100th Test, before the Bangladesh spinners got into their groove.Hasan Murad took two wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam picked up one each so far. Ireland’s debutant Stephen Doheny and Lorcan Tucker were the unbeaten batters, on 2 and 11 respectively.When Ireland bowled earlier in the day, Andy McBrine completed his second six-wicket haul in Tests, both having come at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey took two wickets each, making it the first instance of Ireland’s spinners taking all ten wickets in a Test innings.Mehidy Hasan Miraz celebrates after getting rid of Cade Carmichael•BCB

Paul Stirling’s string of boundaries, including a slog-swept six off Taiju lslam, got Ireland off to a positive start. But he fell lbw to Khaled Ahmed for 27. Captain Andy Balbirnie was next to go, when Murad had him caught at slip for 21. Cade Carmichael became Miraz’s first victim when he fell lbw, camping on his backfoot to play the shot.Murad then bowled the ball of the day, his arm-ball sneaking past Curtis Campher’s defensive push. Taijul Islam then got into the act with Harry Tector’s wicket, as the batter went back to a slightly good length delivery, only to be trapped lbw for 14.Bangladesh’s 476 was built around centuries from Mushfiqur and Litton Das. Mushfiqur became the eleventh batter to score a century in his 100th Test. He completed his 13th century when he took a single off the ninth ball of the second day after being unbeaten on 99 overnight.Mushfiqur though lasted for a short while longer before Humphreys had him caught at second slip for 106. Litton too got to his century later in the first session, taking an adventurous route with a six and a four through the nineties. He added 123 runs for the sixth wicket, making it three century stands in a row.McBrine rounded off the Bangladesh innings after trapping Khaled Ahmed lbw, with 30 minutes remaining in the second session.

Australia set to face Zimbabwe in three ODIs in 2026

The long Test drought between Australia and Zimbabwe is set to continue, but the countries will contest a three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe next year ahead of the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa.Before their Test and ODI tour of South Africa, earmarked for September-October 2026, Australia will have a brief stopover in Zimbabwe for a trio of ODIs, a development first reported by and likely to be officially announced in the coming weeks.The series is to be played in Harare, and possibly Bulawayo, with the flagship 10,000-seat stadium at Victoria Falls unlikely to be ready by then.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Zimbabwe Cricket had been pushing for a one-off Test match to be included in what would have been a showpiece of the tour. But it will not eventuate with Australia to undergo a heavy Test schedule, playing at least 19 Tests from mid-2026 to the Ashes tour of 2027. An ODI series also looms as important preparation for Australia with Zimbabwe to co-host the next 50-over World Cup along with South Africa and Namibia.Zimbabwe and Australia have only played three Tests against each other with the last two being in October 2003 in a short series best remembered for Matthew Hayden briefly setting a world record score of 380 in the first Test at the WACA.The only Test in Zimbabwe was played in 1999 when a Steve Waugh-led Australia won by 10 wickets in what proved to be wicketkeeper Ian Healy’s last Test match.The ODI series will end an eight-year absence for Australia in Zimbabwe. Australia were part of a T20 tri-series, also involving Pakistan, in 2018 while they last played the 50-over format there in 2014.While Test cricket between the nations remains on pause, Zimbabwe power brokers are confident that England will visit for a one-off Test match as an extension of their tour to South Africa in late 2026-early ’27. It is hoped the match will be played at Victoria Falls, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.England and Zimbabwe in May ended a 22-year Test drought with a four-day match at Trent Bridge. The countries have played just seven Test matches against each other, with only two in Zimbabwe – a 0-0 drawn series in December 1996.ZC have been actively trying to encourage countries to stopover en route to neighbouring South Africa and long circled late 2026 as opportunities to negotiate rare fixtures with Australia and England.”We are a Test nation, so playing the top countries like Australia and England at home will go a long way to making this format popular in Zimbabwe,” ZC chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani told ESPNcricinfo.”Playing against the best teams will help our players develop their skills in Test cricket. Understandably Australia wants to prepare for the World Cup, but hopefully we can play them in Test cricket in the future.”As ESPNcricinfo reported earlier this month, the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is likely to feature all 12 Full Members in one division.It means teams will have more incentive to play Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, who aren’t part of the current nine-team WTC. If the 12-team, one division WTC eventuates as expected – a final decision is likely at the ICC meetings in March – it has been widely assumed that those teams will mostly host one-off matches. No extra funding is expected to be available for hosting Tests.But Zimbabwe plans to host longer series in the next WTC, doubling down on their commitment to Test cricket. “Some countries might just play a minimum number of Tests, but we are hoping to play more,” Mukuhlani said. “We will aim to stage two or more Test match series against the likes of Australia and England.”

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